West Sea Coast Guard Agency's 'Special Crackdown' to Eradicate Drunk Sailing on Ships

Number of Drunk Driving Crackdowns Increasing Annually Over the Past 3 Years

The number of drunk driving crackdowns has been increasing every year over the past three years. (Photo by Seohae Regional Coast Guard)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] The Seohae Regional Coast Guard Agency (Chief Yoon Byung-doo) will conduct special crackdowns throughout July to prevent maritime drunk driving accidents during the summer peak season.

According to the Seohae Coast Guard on the 29th, the number of drunk driving violations in the jurisdiction over the past three years has been on the rise, with 23 cases in 2018, 38 cases in 2019, and 45 cases in 2020.

By vessel type, fishing boats (including fishing charter boats) accounted for the largest share with 74 cases, followed by cargo ships (including passenger ships) with 12 cases, leisure craft with 9 cases, and others with 11 cases.

For general vessels, under the Maritime Safety Act, a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.2% or higher results in imprisonment for 2 to 5 years or a fine between 20 million and 30 million KRW; a BAC of 0.08% or higher results in imprisonment for 1 to 2 years or a fine between 10 million and 20 million KRW; and a BAC of 0.03% or higher results in imprisonment for up to 1 year or a fine up to 10 million KRW.

For leisure craft, under the Water Leisure Safety Act, a BAC of 0.03% or higher is punishable by imprisonment for up to 1 year or a fine up to 5 million KRW.

The Seohae Coast Guard will conduct special crackdowns targeting multi-use vessels such as ferries, fishing charter boats, passenger ships, and leisure craft from the 10th to the 25th of next month. Prior to this, promotional and guidance activities will be carried out until the 9th.

A representative from the Seohae Coast Guard’s Rescue and Safety Division stated, “Despite the nationwide spread of COVID-19, cases of drunk driving violations continue to occur,” adding, “It is necessary to raise awareness among vessel operators through active promotion, guidance, and crackdowns.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.